Commentaries, Reminiscences and Sea Stories
The Ships, Shipmates and Ports of Call

These shipmates have contributed stories, articles and recollections of their time aboard the TAGS ships.


Jim Bohnsack

  • Newcastle and the Pineapple Pub
  • Newcastle and Falmouth, England

Phil Brooks

  • Southampton
  • The Bad E.M.O.
  • My first ship, USNS Michelson

Lin Combs

  • Dutton in 1976

Albert M. Forget

  • A Personal History in the U.S. Navy, and Aboard USNS Michelson

Gordon Foster

  • Around the World Aboard USNS Dutton

Carl Friberg

  • Bondeson and His Breed
  • About Captain Bondeson, and Other Comments
  • T-AGS Crew List: The MSTS/MSC Crew
  • A Commentary on the Civilian Captain ("Master") on U.S. Navy-Owned Ships
  • The Dutton, Southampton, England, Early 1970s, and Other Comments
  • Tsip, Tsip, Tsip - A Snow Job
  • Ships Sailed

Robert Guttman

  • Vivid Recollections of the USNS Bowditch

John Hansen

  • How I Traveled from New York to Northern Ireland
  • Master Mariner Missing !
  • Captain Bondeson: Deck Chairs, Blankets and Books
  • Captain Bondeson: High and Dry as The War Begins
  • Captain Bondeson: At Sea After the War

Chet Headley

  • Processes Used to Produce Ship's Newspapers
  • Acquiring My Extreme Foul Weather Jacket and Keeping It

Gary Hooper

  • Reminiscences of USNS Bowditch, 1963-1964
  • Reminiscences of USNS Bowditch, 1967-1968

Ramon Jackson

  • Bondeson and His Breed
  • Masters, Captains, "Captains" and Transport Commanders!

Jack Keenan

  • My Year on USNS Dutton T-AGS-22
  • NAVDAC Mark I on the TAGS, Compass Island and Observation Island

Bill Klein

  • The Hunt for USNS Dutton

Glenn Krochmal

  • The AGI Vertikal Incident

Bob Lord

  • Some Ship's Newsletter Memories
  • A "Cruise Brochure" for TAGS Vets

Frank McCafferty

  • USNS Dutton in Glasgow, Scotland, 1973

Jonah McLeod

  • Honcho Street Yokosuka Summer 1965
  • Setting Sail For Adventure
  • First Day Aboard USNS Michelson
  • Traveling Companions
  • Out To Sea
  • Having Any Woman He Wanted
  • Getting Away From Roommates
  • A Walk About in Tokyo
  • Getting to Know You
  • Setting Sail on My Second Cruise
  • An Evening in Tokyo’s Gay Subculture
  • A Spy in Our Midst
  • 1965 Yokosuka to Portland, A Journey
  • Dishing Out Grief
  • Homecoming
  • Passing Through
  • A Visit to Nagasaki
  • Trying to Remember my Fading Past

John Prough

  • Work? Logs of a Tech Rep. on the USNS Bowditch
  • How I Got on the "Special Ships"
  • Trial and Redemption
  • The Texas Bar
  • The "Deadly Duo" Go Ashore
  • Stories about Captain Bondeson, and Other Crewmen
  • Captain Hess
  • Joining the Bowditch

Paul Rokoff

  • Muses From My time on the Dutton, January 1972 to November 1974

David Royer

  • First TAGS Tour, USNS Bowditch, 1960
  • The Bendix G-15D, and Other Happenings, Transfer to Dutton
  • Second Bowditch Tour
  • Third Bowditch Tour

R. L. Seiden

  • Me and the TAGS
  • Me and the TAGS (More)

Chris Smoot

  • Some Commentaries on Finding the Scorpion
  • Mizar, Scorpion...and The Gulf of Alaska

Bill Truslow

  • Secrets Dumped Over the Side
  • Back to H. H. Hess
  • The Demise of Bowditch

Deb Zankofski

  • Hess and the International Incident

Channing Zucker

  • Interesting Occurrence - LCDR Michael A. McCallister
  • 1966 Palomares Bomb Recovery Incident
  • Final Fate

Note: The comments, observations and opinions expressed by our shipmates are their own and are not to be regarded as those of the site administrator, or anyone else. Your thoughts on the above are welcome. Please send your comments, reminiscences and sea stories to the site admin.


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